


Child of Hades

by DariusSobreitus



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Assassin's Creed - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Congratulations! You're a Daughter!, Family Bonding, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Hades and Persephone (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Kassandra Deserves Nice Things, Not Canon Compliant, One Shot, Persephone Goes Willingly With Hades (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Revelations, Wholesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-09
Packaged: 2021-03-09 10:02:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27469174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DariusSobreitus/pseuds/DariusSobreitus
Summary: Kassandra is told of a Three-Headed Dog in a nearby cave, when she inspect it, she finds what she's been seeking for her whole life. Answers.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	Child of Hades

**Author's Note:**

> Not compliant with AC canon, especially Trials of Atlantis DLC. Greek Gods are Greek Gods and not First Ones.

“A dog with three heads?” Kassandra asked skeptically. 

“Yes! Large as a bear! With eyes red as embers of a flame, it growled and barked at me! I ran before it could do anymore.”

Kassandra stood outside the house of a farmer, his home settled at the foot of a mountain. He had gone to a cave to carve out some silver to seek his fortunes, unfortunately, this...three headed dog greeted him. Though skeptical, Kassandra had seen the coin the farmer offered. Having already indulged in the meat and wine he had already offered her, she had little reason to not consider his words. For a meal and promise of coin, she’d gladly seek out this supposed dog and bring back a pelt to prove the deed done. Easy money at this point. Though it was more likely a pack of wolves or an actual bear awaited her. 

“And...what would suffice as evidence for it’s kill?”

“I don’t need it dead, misthios!” The farmer said, “All I need is the ore it guards! With it, I can move to the city! Make a real living!”

Kassandra raised an eyebrow, _He does realize I could just take the ore for myself, yes? It’d probably pay more than what he can offer._

Though unsaid, Kassandra kept the implication to herself. The ore might be nothing to consider anyways, if that was the case, better the farmer could sell it than her. Afterall, if there was such a vein of silver in this mountain, _someone_ would have claimed it by now. 

“Alright, I’ll take a look,” Kassandra said. 

“Thank you, Misthios! May Zeus bless your travels!” 

Kassandra had to resist the urge to scoff. _I’ve had enough blessings from the gods._

Making her way to the paths leading to the mountain, Kassandra had reached the cave within an hour. The clouds had converged above, rain was threatening to fall. 

“I hope it’s not a pack of wolves.”

Drawing her sword and lighting a torch, Kassandra delved into the cave. As she suspected, the cave was well-carved, wide and high enough to comfortably move through, odds are someone had already claimed the ore. 

The stone was firm beneath her sandaled feet, the torch creating the only sight and sound in the cave. As she walked, she began to realize how deep it went. _How deep did he search? Even if there is ore, I’ll have a hell of time dragging it out._

As she continued, she caught the sound of something she didn’t expect. She stopped, and listened.

 _Singing_.

Or more accurately, _humming._ It was a lullabye, one her mother had both sung and hummed to her and Alexios when they were children. It stopped her in her tracks. 

It was distinct, and not an echo. 

_Why would there be humming,_ Kassandra thought. _Who would live down here and hum a lullaby?_

On guard, the misthios gripped her sword harder and made her way down the long winding tunnel. The longer she walked it, the more realized something. There were no marks of tools, no bags, ropes or any belongings of people. The further she went, the more she realized something was different. 

There was light.

Not of fire or torches, but of...gems, crystals. Lining the walls and glinting in the pure darkness. Kassandra stopped to observe one, moving her torch away, the gem did indeed glow on it’s own. Curiously, she raised a hand to it. The gems were warm, as if left out in the sun or warmed by the hands of another. 

Raising her sword hilt, she smashed the pommel into the top of the gem. It fell from place and into her surprised hand. Kassandra observed the gem, it was an emerald, glowing bright and unyielding like a crystalized flame. It was light, lighter in her hands than she would have expected. 

The humming began again, it was close. 

Pocketing the stone, she moved. Leaving the torch in the crater in the wall, she advanced alone. Hoping the light of the gems would be enough to find her way, and keep her presence secret. 

The humming was far clearer now, the voice that hummed it was deep and masculine. The low timber of the voice seemed to resonate with the stone of the cave and the gems in the wall, their glow flickering with the tone of the hum. 

Light of a flame was ahead, but the color was more akin to the glowing gems of the wall. Green.

Kassandra put herself against a corner of the tunnel, light bleeding from a successive tunnel. Sword in hand, she peered around the corner. 

What she saw wasn’t what she expected. 

A man hummed the lullaby while he inspected the wall of gems. Gently tapping and prying the gems from the wall with a chisel and hammer. His touch was efficient and practiced. 

She couldn’t see his face as he looked away from her, but she could make out a tall, slender man with a defined physique, and skin that while fairer than most, had seen the sun some time before. As well as war, Kassandra knew the scar of a spear wound intimately, one crossed this man’s tricep. 

His tunic was black, and rimmed in faded gold, whoever he was, he was well off. Rich enough to have this whole mine to himself, perhaps using the light of the gems and sound to scare off anyone seeking fortune. 

Kassandra looked around, trying to find any reason to attack this man. She saw nothing warranting such an attack, if he however made a move against her, she would defend herself. For now though…

She stepped out from behind the corner, “ _Ch_ -” 

She began, but a dark shape from further up the tunnel suddenly moved towards her. Faster than any man or beast, far faster than Kassandra could react, struck her in the chest and within a heartbeat, she was on the ground with a heavy weight on her chest. The smell was of a canine. 

Kassandra raised her sword, ready to fight off this beast, until something wet ran up her neck and chin, along with a happy bark.

“- _arie_?” She said lamely. The tongue lapped at her mouth and nose this time, she turned her face away. “Yes, yes! Hello, please let me up.”

“ _Kerberos_! Come!” The great hound barked and left Kassandra, heading back into the tunnel. 

The misthios sat up, perplexed at both the speed and power of the beast that had knocked her down. There had been men in heavy armor far larger and stronger that hadn’t done as much.

As she made to stand up, a hand entered her vision. She followed it to the man who offered. He was near middle age, with wrinkles on his face, he had a full beard with a streak of grey in the black mass. His golden eyes glinted with amusement in the darkness.

“Sorry, he’s a bit overzealous at times,” Kassandra took the hand and stood. Greeted by a smile as warm as summer. “He must like you though, he usually reserves affections for the second or third meeting.”

Dusting herself off, Kassandra smirked, “Must be a blessing.”

“Indeed,” The man said, nodding to Kassandra and moving towards the gems. “Often they present themselves when we do not seek them. As you know.”

Kassandra stopped at that, “As I know?”

“Of course, I’d be hard pressed not to recognize the spear and bearing of Kassandra, the Eagle Bearer of Kephalonia,” The man said warmly. “Your abilities and skill are far too coveted to be secret, I’m afraid.”

The misthios eased slightly at that, “Well, they were nothing compared to your dog.”

The man chuckled warmly. For some reason, it felt...nostalgic to hear it. Kassandra shook her head. “May I ask who you are and what are you doing here?”

“A simple miner,” He said, “And as you see, I am mining. Wouldn’t be of my craft if I did not practice it.”

“Then you put me at a disadvantage,” Kassandra said, leaning against the wall. “As you know my name and story, yet I do not know yours.”

The man cast a gaze towards her, “There is not much to know, unfortunately. Nothing the likes of a hero like you would find interesting.”

Kassandra dropped her arms, “I am no hero, and I would. Especially to know how you find a place like this?” She gestured towards the glowing gems all around them. 

“Oh, you find a place unknown to others, dig around, and then, by fortune, you find what you seek.”

“Fortunate indeed.”

Kassandra’s eyes wandered the dwelling, there was no bed, or any other tools, or even a bag to haul away the spoils. Her eyes settled on the dog, Kerberos. He faced away from her, chewing away a bone, though dark, she noted spots on his coat, some lighter shades of brown or white. Perhaps it was darkness below the glow of the gems, or the shade of the beast itself, but Kassandra swore the hound’s head seemed to shift in the darkness. Almost taking up three spaces where one would be.

“Are you?” The man asked. “Fortunate?”

It was a hard question, and while Kassandra would ordinarily avoid her own story, and simply tell a half-truth to avoid a meaningful conversation. However, there was a strange kinship with this man that made her speak. 

“Some may say so. I do not see it though.”

The man was silent, waiting for her to stop or continue. 

“I have fame, skill and the coin of either Sparta or Athens to summon my blade to their side. A ship to keep me from bowing to any lord or polis. Yet, for all I’ve done and all I’ve seen, I can only look back at the people I’ve lost in getting here. If I had a choice, I’d go back to be with them, damn the fame I have.”

There was silence, save for the dog feasting and the man chiselling away at the rock. After a moment, he swiped away rock from the wall. “Who did you lose?”

“A young girl, Phiobe. She was...a young girl I knew on Kephalonia. Closest I ever had to a sister...or maybe a child,” She paused, settling her breath, “And another, a man named Brasidas. A warrior and comrade. Trustworthy and honorable. He was a good man, and he deserved a better fate.”

The man nodded, “Loss is inevitable in life, even so, the holes in our hearts are hard to fill or forget. We dwell on what we should have done, or said to our loved ones before they parted,” He turned away from the wall and set on her with somber amber eyes. “However, I have learned to not dwell on the losses I’ve felt, the holes left behind, but to embrace the memories I still hold for those long gone, and to embrace those I still care about remaining.”

“Do you have such people, Kassandra?”

A slight smile breached Kassandra’s face, “Yes. I...am fortunate to have reunited with my family, against all odds. Together again. Well, mostly.”

“Mostly?”

Kassandra sighed, “My brother was taken from us when he was a baby, and suffered because of it. We have him back, but until us, he’s never known the love of family, the pride of a father, the hug of a mother...it...it’s hard,” She sighed, “And...our father...loved us as his own, but he wasn’t our true father.”

Memories of that night came, unbidden. Of the loving embrace of Nikaloaus, his harsh grip on his wrist as he dropped her to what was expected to be her death. To his aged face, looking at her in shock and grief. Her hand on her spear, trying to find the will stop herself, and to see vengeance done. 

A warm hand clutched her shoulder, she was surprised to feel tears on her face. She wiped them away, embarrassed that a stranger had seen her in such a state. 

“Family is often complicated...and I am sorry to have asked.”

“No, I am sorry, I...I’m not used to speaking of this.”

The man nodded, “Nikolaus of Sparta would wear pride and passion like a cloak, the day he lost his family, was the day the light in him died. You and Alexios are his pride.”

A few short sentences chilled Kassandra to the bone. “How did you know my father?”

“I knew him and your mother, Kassandra,” He said, turning to address her fully, his golden eyes meeting her gently. The misthios blinked, she remembered something. As a babe, a pair of golden eyes, and warm hands on her cheeks. The humming of the voice was now refreshed in her memory. 

“W-who are you!?” Kassandra demanded, drawing her sword. Kerberos growled, but the man held his hand out towards the hound. 

“You know, Kassandra,” He said. The way he said her name was familiar, practiced and warm. It brought back the memoryless nostalgia of her youth as a toddler. Sometimes it was Nikolaos who smiled down at her and played, sometimes it was this man. His features were indistinct, but the voice and eyes...they were _familiar._

Then there was the place, the gems that seemed to glow with the man’s presence, the dog whose head shifted...her heart stopped. _A three-headed dog._

“H-hades?” She asked.

“And your father,” He said gently. 

Kassandra was stunned for several moments, staring in disbelief. He had to be lying, she’d met plenty of people who claimed to be descended from Gods, or even Gods themselves. They either carried an aura of something that _could_ be true, or were just the murmurings of mad people. 

This man, he carried an aura of truth. Even if he wasn’t the God of Wealth and King of the Underworld, he was convincing in his performance. 

“H-how? The stories say you never had children!”

He chuckled, the deep reverberation, bringing back images of a night of rain, and a deep chuckle. 

“The stories will paint me as they will, what do you believe?”

It was a question Kassandra wasn’t ready for, “I-I don’t know...You _feel_ familiar, and I remember you! But...why? How?”

Hades’ expression turned wistful, “Do you know that children conceived and born in the Underworld are not permitted to leave it? That my wife, Persephone, cannot see her children half of the year?”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“You were born during the winter solstice, were you not?”

“I was.”

“As was Alexios.”

Kassandra shook her head, “Speak plainly. Please.”

Hades nodded. “Nikolaos was unable to conceive, an injury in his youth unfortunately. Still, he and Myrinne loved each other. She prayed for a child, and even made prayers for Persephone and me. We heard, and knew what we had to do. I love my wife, and would not stray from her side without her explicit consent, but we heard the wailes and woes of Myrrine of Sparta, and felt a need to act for her.

“Persphone loves me, and our children, but is heartbroken to be separated from them for half the year. We agreed, we’d help Myrinne have children. She brought my essence as she traveled to be with her mother. She gave my essence to Myrinne as she lay with Nikolaos, and thus you were born nine months later.”

Kassandra somehow stood on her feet, shaken as she was. 

“D-did...did Myrinne and Nikolaos know?”

Hades smiled, “We visited their dreams and met with them many times, in disguise of course, if they suspected either of us, they said nothing.”

“And...Persephone?” She asked, almost afraid.

“She considers you and Alexios as her own. She helped bring you to life, and even when we are separated, she has you two to look over. She, as well as I, am always with you.”

Silence took over the pair. 

Kassandra fought with herself. She couldn’t believe this, the idea she was a child of Hades? God of Wealth and King of the Underworld? Tormentor of souls? Who could believe it? 

Yet she _did._

He _knew_ her, not just as a famous mercenary, but her past, her family, and her losses. Even if this man was crazy, he knew too much for it to be coincidence. 

“Brasidas...Phiobe…are they…?”

“In Elysium. Brasidas took time to find his way there, wanting to atone for his sins, but I know a soul who means well and understands the realities of war.”

That broke Kassandra, she fell to her knees, overcome with emotion. Grief, uncertainty, and... _relief_. Like a hunger finally sated, a desert-inspired thirst, quenched. Tears fell from her eyes, first in grief, then in joy.

She knew the fates of her fallen friends, and now knew who her father was. Ever since Nikolaos spoke that truth, she had wondered, obsessed, excited and afraid. Looking up at the man before her, Hades, before her in human form. He wasn’t the fearful figure of the stories, spiteful and cold. He was warm, kind and sincere. 

“Why now?” She asked.

“Because, _daughter_ , I couldn’t bear the thought of you not knowing any longer. I did my best as did Persephone to make sure you were safe, secure, and having enough to survive. It wasn’t much, and I know you care not for this fame you have, but we did our best for you,” He sighed, looking as if he aged a thousand years. “I understand if you do not wish to speak to me, or hear of me any further. I knew you had to know the truth.”

Kassandra didn’t know why she did so, she just did. Standing, she wrapped her arms around the God of the Underworld. 

“ _Pater_ ,” She said unevenly. Hesitantly, arms wrapped around her, and held her close. Arms of a father. The embrace she had sought for years.

“ _Daughter._ ”

She began to cry again, and Hades hummed to her the lullaby he had hummed to her as a child. Maybe there in person, maybe in her dreams, but present nonetheless. It was what she had sought for so long. 

Nikolaos had been her father as well, but Hades had never left her. 

She pulled away from her father, staring at him uncertainly, as if he’d disappear. “What now?”

Hades smiled again, “If you ever need me, I’ll be here for you physically. By the road or sea, I am with you Kassandra. You are my child, and I protect and cherish what is mine.” 

Kassandra wiped her eyes, “Thank you, _pater.”_

“Be safe, daughter,” He said with a smile.

She smiled, looking over to Kerberos and seeing all three heads looking at her with bright red eyes and lolling tongues. 

“Oh, before I forget!” Hades said. Kassandra turned to be presented with a bow, ornate gold, with stylized horns on it. Along with it, she was handed a leather bag of jewels. “Let it not be said that Hades is not generous to those who earn it. Especially for all the birthdays I have missed.”

Kassandra smiled at the gifts, shouldering them. A knowing smile crossed her lips. 

“The farmer at the foot of the mountain?”

“Also me,” He said with a smile. “Sorry, had to make sure you had the right circumstance to come here. I apologize for the deception.”

Counting the jewels, Kassandra smirked, “Well, I’d say you paid for it.”

She turned to leave, but stopped. “When should I return, I would like it if my mother and brother could…”

“Winter solstice,” Hades said evenly. “Persephone would have my head if there was no proper feast among family.”

He turned back towards the beginning of the tunnel, “You’ll be getting a visit from her soon, I’m certain.”

“I hope so,” Kassandra said with a smile. Turning and heading up the tunnel again. 

In a far shorter time than it took her to descend, Kassandra found herself on the slope of the mountain again, the sun was high and warm, the smell of fresh rain wafting into her nostrils. With renewed life and sense of clarity in her life, the misthios turned back towards the land. To her ship, and her next adventure. 

“I suppose I was blessed today, and not in the way I expected.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Personally wish they kept Kassandra's true father a mystery up to interpretation. Not sure why Pythagoras was the father, kind of random. Possibly a god though? Valid.


End file.
